Natural Killer Cells (NK cells) are a group of immune cells with a CD3-CD56+ phenotype, which are usually found in lymph nodes, various organs and peripheral blood.

NK cells can kill cancer cells through the following mechanisms:
(i) secreting perforin and granzyme to induce apoptosis of cancer cells.
(ii) the death ligand binds to the death receptor on the surface of cancer cells to trigger the apoptosis of cancer cells.
(iii) secreting cytokines such as TNF-α and IFN-γ to regulate the functions of immune cells, such as T cells and dendritic cells, thereby strengthening the anti-cancer ability.
(iv) in the presence of antibody, the FcγRIII (CD16) of NK cells binds to the Fc portion of antibody triggering the lysis of targeted cells. This phenomenon is also known as antibody-dependent cell-mediated cytotoxicity (ADCC).

Based on years of experience form Ex vivo expansion technology of immune cell, Medigen has developed a specialized methodology to expand and activate natural killer cells (called Magicell-NK), which have large number of cells, high purity and high cytotoxic ability, and does not use any non-human source ingredients and feeder cells.

After 14 ± 2 days of in vitro expansion, Magicell-NK consists of cells having a phenotype of CD3-CD56+ NK cells for more than 95%, which are considered as the high-purity NK cells. The overall cell survival rate is greater than 98%.

In addition to conducting the “Regulations Governing the Application or Use of Specific Medical Techniques or Examinations, or Medical Devices” (hereinafter referred to as the “Regulations of Special Medical Techniques”) issued by Ministry of Health and Welfare (MOHW), Medigen is also conducting the phase I clinical trial of Magicell-NK (CT-NK-11), and it’s under subjects recruiting. The trial title is “A Dose-Escalating Phase I Study to Determine the Safety, and Maximum Tolerated Dose/ Maximum Feasible Dose of Autologous ex vivo Expanded and Activated NK cell, Magicell-NK, Infusion for Colon Cancer post Resection”. The aim of this trial is to investigate the efficacy and safety of Magicell-NK as adjuvant therapy in patients with colon cancer post resection.